AN: Annoyed by the "~geso"? It's better than puns. Oh wait...I have those too.

Eiko Aizawa. I guess you could say that she takes care of me, mostly against my own will~geso. Before she came along, I used to think that the entirety of mankind was made up of heartless, thoughtless and careless being without any regard for anyone but themselves. I now know that while this view might not have been far off, there are decent humans as well~geso.

She wasn't this squid's idea of the dream girl, I can tell you that. She was demanding and controlling, saw me as an annoyance and annoyed me in return. I can scratch my head until my tentacles are stumps, but I still won't be able to tell you exactly when that relationship changed~geso.

There has recently been one or two moments you could call defining in our lives~geso. These aren't moments when we first developed feelings for each other, because I honestly don't know when or how that happened~geso. No, these are just the moments when we first noticed them.

-I-

"So hot~geso...I can't even lift a tentacle..." There was a fine line, Squid Girl had noticed. If it was too cold, no one wanted to go down to the beach except for the occasional surfer. But on days when the air looked like jelly, barely anyone could even manage setting their foot in the sun. She couldn't blame them.

"Same here. "

"But you don't have any tentacles."

"True. At least there are no customers on a day like this."

The two girls were sitting in a corner of the beach house, their only source of coolness the can of soda they each had, along with an electric fan that weakly rotated back and forth. Squid Girl was in her swimsuit, and Eiko was futilely trying to fan herself with her own T-shirt.

"In that case, why are we even here? Wouldn't you rather be inside your nice and air-conditioned home?"

"Well, you know..." The brunette took a sip from her soda, looking cautiously towards the other end of the restaurant. "Chizuru is very devoted like that, and I just don't feel right staying at home when she's here...melting away."

"But why do I have to come with you~geso?" Squid Girl grumbled. She did work at Lemon, after all, and this was enough for Eiko to be able to torture her.

"Stop complaining. You should've thought of that before you smashed the wall because of a freaking mosquito."

The messenger from the sea thought about retorting, but the heat was far too sweltering for her to be in the mood to argue. For one who had previously enjoyed the comforting cold the ocean provided, the hotter days on the beach were completely unbearable. Also, she found carbonated drinks awful, so she just sat idly shaking her can up and down.

The day went on, the unrelating sun blasting warmth across the sandy strip of land. The heat waves gave the place the feel of a desert, as long as you could ignore the giant mass of water next to it. A lazy breeze whisked the sand around, and some of the grains it moved found their way into the beach house. A few of these grains then so happened to end up of inside of a certain, weakly rotating fan.

"He-e-e-ey, E-E-E-Eiko-o-o-o. Che-e-eck i-i-i-it ou-u-u-t~geso-o-o-o-o..."

"You're such a child." Eiko sighed, conveniently forgetting that talking into a fan was something she also enjoyed doing. By herself, of course. During this cute display of childishness and air vibrations, the fan clicked a three, four times before stopping completely. Squid Girl's chopped up vowels turned into flat notes, and Eiko's attempt to hold in a giggle suddenly succeeded.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything~geso! It just stopped by itself!" A blue tentacle gave the lifeless fan a few smacks, which only served to give it an even more battered look.

"Great, just great." The human groaned, too exhausted to yell. "Of course you would ruin our only chance of surviving this day."

"I didn't ruin it! Nothing in this stupid place works~geso!" Feeling the heavy air gather around her, Squid Girl calmed down. She pressed her back against the somewhat cool wall and gave the fan, now broken beyond repair, a final kick.

"Sure you didn't. Are you going to drink that?" Squid Girl shook her head and threw Eiko her soda, and the human put her own empty can down with a metallic ping. "Thanks."

"I can't tell if I'm really angry or if it's just the heat~geso."

"I know what you mean." Eiko grimaced, squeezing the lukewarm can in her hand. "It messes with your head. What I wouldn't give for a cold, refreshing shower-" Mid-sentence, Eiko decided to open the can containing a carbonated drink, the same can that had been tossed up, down and around by a restless sea creature. If you're a respectably knowledgeable human, you can probably figure out what happened next.

A fountain of foamy orange liquid rose from the can, accompanied by a loud fizzing. This probably wouldn't have been more than an inconvenience normally, but Eiko was practically lying down with the can over her. The end result being that her midsection was more or less soaked.

The fizzing subsided and everything went silent, and perfect example of the calm before the storm. Soon enough, one could make out a contagious, muffled noise.

"Be careful what you wish for~gesogesogeso." Squid Girl snickered until her stomach hurt, the sight of the thoroughly refreshed girl a bit too much to handle in this climate. Perhaps her lack of awareness as Eiko got on her feet could also be blamed on the heat.

"Hey...it isn't really fair that I'm the only one getting refreshed, is it?" The brunette growled before turning the can upside-down and emptying its remaining contents over the innocent squid. It actually wasn't cool in the slightest, and the liquid settled like a sticky crust over her skin in seconds.

"Gah! How dare you do something like this to your future ruler~geso!'?"

"You're not going to rule over anything! You can't even properly invade a beach!"

"I'll show you invading~geso!"

Since the heat really did make Squid Girl's tentacles less lively than sushi, she opted to simply headbutt her foe. Not only did this knock the wind out of Eiko, but it also made her trip and fall. The human took her time recovering, and since Squid Girl wasn't actually intent on doing any real damage, she went for tickling the exposed parts of said human's stomach.

Eiko's anger turned into involuntary joy as she squirmed in laughing spasms. Squid Girl allowed herself an evil chuckle, truly fitting for someone who would one day rule over mankind. This moment of respite was all Eiko needed to grab hold of an available tentacle and tug on it. Not being prepared for this, the sea creature went down as easily as Eiko had, and in the exact same place. Fortunately, Squid Girl held out her hands to break her fall, these ending up on either side of Eiko.

The rest went as these situations usually do. The brunette still held onto the aforementioned tentacle sheepishly, mind-numbingly aware of the girl on all four hovering over her, dripping with soda. That her shirt was pulled up to her ribs and the other girl was in a swimsuit didn't help the matter any. There was no reason for the mental paralysis that overcame the two, but it was there nonetheless. Eiko could've sworn she saw a red hue settle on her friend's cheeks.

"I told y-" After two infinitely long seconds, and with a shaky grin that assured that the full sentence would've been some overly confident statement, Squid Girl tried getting up. However, her hands along with the foot she was also using all slipped on the sugary liquid pooling around them, the result being that she literally fell on top of Eiko. But the paralysis was broken and the human was getting back into her pissed off mindset.

"You clumsy little...get off me!" Even while saying so, Eiko didn't make it easy for Squid Girl. She tried to sit up while the blue-tentacled girl did her best to remove herself from the sticky, crackling bond that had formed between them.

"Then stop pushing me~ge...so?"

At that moment, the older Aizawa sister came into the restaurant. The two girls went quiet, and once again took a good look at the situation. Eiko had successfully gotten into a sitting state, but with Squid Girl still on her. She now sat in Eiko's lap, both of them thoroughly drenched in sweat and carbonated beverage. Chizuru just looked from one girl to the other, obliviously smiling.

"Oh my. I'm glad you two are enjoying yourself, even in this heat. Just don't let Sanae see you." The innocuous comment alone was enough to end the two girls' quarrel. Eiko and Squid Girl repelled each other with almost magnetic force, both of them panting heavily.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." The human snapped before walking out of the house. Squid Girl scratched her arm, which made a curious crackling on account of the soda.

"Fan's broken." The messenger from the sea stated, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy. From the exhaustion, probably.

-I-

After that day, we were suddenly timid around each other, and we fought less, talked less, and so on~geso. I don't think we knew why we went through so much squdding trouble. If we had just acted as if nothing had happened, wouldn't that have been better?

While I'm very good at learning new things, I'm bad at keeping the old in mind~geso. One of many moments on one of many days, as remarkable as it may have been, couldn't sustain itself in my busy mind. So I forgot about it. It's funny to think that if I had remembered, or if Chizuru hadn't been off shopping for food, or if Takeru had come in and wanted to play~geso...then I probably wouldn't be standing here. A squiddle detail can change so much. I guess you can say that about everything, really. But it's kinda more fun if you apply it to something important, right?

-I-

Eiko and Squid Girl were in the back of the restaurant, enjoying a halfhearted lunch break. The brunette sat at the table, head in hands, visibly frustrated. It was then only natural that her blue-tentacled friend would come out and state the obvious reason for this frustration.

"There really doesn't seem to be as many customers here as there usually is~geso. Didn't you say that this month was one of the busiest?"

"It should be. I'm a little worried, honestly."

It was true. You could have trouble setting foot on sand instead of towels with how many people could be squeezed together outside the restaurant on a good day. Today was an exceptionally good day, according to Chizuru and Eiko, yet only a handful of customers had shown up. Squid Girl didn't mind, it meant less work and less time picking up garbage for her, but her employers didn't share the optimistic mindset.

"Maybe people just got bored of this place. Boring food, boring people. The only good thing about it is the view~geso."

"Tch, shut it. You work here too, remember? As for the food, we change the menu every now and then to keep things from getting old, so don't even pretend you know what you're talking about." Eiko sighed, genuinely worried. Business hadn't been the best as of late, and while Chizuru was being her usual cheerful self, she too had her concerns. She had always been more involved with the restaurant than Eiko, after all. "Plus, the latest addition to Lemon was our squid ink spaghetti. So going by your theory..."

"There is nothing wrong with my ink~geso! It's oceans better than the stuff you humans use. This place was crowded for days after you introduced that dish~geso." The messenger protested, suddenly defensive when it came to her own abilities. Eiko knew a weak point when she saw one, and took it as a way of letting off some steam.

"I don't know about that. I've heard a few complaints here and there. Maybe you're going bad, little squid."

By this point in time, Squid Girl had been in so many arguments with Eiko that she had learned that the best way to deal with the human was to do something unexpected. Throw her off, so to speak. First part of that plan: Don't get mad.

"Pft, as if. My ink is of the highest quality, and it's not my fault if you lowly humans can't appreciate that. It's like feeding shrimp to a sea urchin~geso."

"You don't say." came the dull reply, the girl's disdain for humankind getting a little old at this point. Squid Girl reveled in the fact that she had dispelled Eiko's assault so quickly, but she wasn't done yet.

Second part: Taste test.

"If you don't believe me, here!" Squid Girl spat in her hand and held it out, a pool of black-blue in her palm. She offered it to Eiko, who didn't exactly seem thrilled.

"I'll take your word for it, there no need to-mhmf!" The protest was effectively silenced as the squid dipped two fingers in the ink and swiftly stuck them into Eiko's mouth. Squid Girl just smiled in a manner similar to Chizuru's, and the action was so sudden that the human found herself stupefied. A split moment before Eiko regained the modicum of common sense necessary to push Squid Girl's hand away, a look of bliss passed over her.

"What the hell are you doing!'?" The human barked, now nothing but indignation in her voice.

"Was it good?"

"W-what!'?"

"My ink. Or has it gone bad?" The oblivious smile remained, and Eiko felt her anger being replaced by exasperation. With sigh a tad too deep, she leaned back in her chair.

"It's fine."

"What was that~geso?" Squid Girl teased, thoroughly enjoying the situation. If you just dared to be a little creative, getting the upper hand was easy. "I can't hear you."

"It's fine." Eiko repeated, loud enough to satisfy her tormentor. It probably would've ended there, but Squid Girl had made one last observation. She had noticed the slight flush coloring her friend's features, and she couldn't resist putting such a fine weapon to good use.

"Why are you blushing?"

"W-what, I'm not-"

"Do you really like my squid ink that much?"

"I...I don't-"

"Or..." The blue-tentacled girl murmured with mock thoughtfulness. "...maybe it's not the ink~geso, but the fact that I fed it to you?"

If Squid Girl had been of a more attentive disposition, she might've noticed the change of atmosphere in the room, mostly related to Eiko's sudden silence. But maybe she thought that the human's silence came from embarrassment, as she kept going.

"I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff, Eiko." The messenger from the sea sang, poking her friend with the cupped hand still filled with ink. "If you just ask nicely, I won't mind giving you some more~geso. Hey-"

"Shut up!" Eiko suddenly exploded, and her hand flew out and knocked Squid Girl's away, sending a small puddle of ink through the air. The liquid hit the floor with a splash, and Squid Girl got that instinctively foreboding feeling she usually got when Chizuru was mad at her. Except now it was the younger sister who was the angry one. Not annoyed, not frustrated, but actually angry. It made the squid feel ashamed; they were supposed to fight, but it wasn't supposed to get that serious. Hell, Eiko was one of the few decent humans she knew.

"Eiko..."

"Just..." The brunette spoke quietly now, as if all of her power had been used for that one outburst. She stared straight into her lap, and her every word seemed as fragile as glass. "Don't talk like that. You don't know what you do to me..." The last sentence was completely inaudible, only mumbled whispers.

"Hey...I was just kidding a squiddle..." It was a cautious reply, and it was now Eiko who was the unpredictable one.

"I know, I know. Squid Girl...do you remember? A few weeks ago, on that really hot day?" The blue-tentacled girl tilted her head to the side in a silent no. Eiko laughed joylessly, right hand's fingers performing a restless drum solo on the table.

"No, of course you don't. You broke our only working fan, I covered you in soda...does it ring any bells?" It did. And when it did, it sent the feelings of self-consciousness flooding back. In line with Squid Girl's random perception skills, she got the strangest idea of why Eiko was acting like this, and had no idea whether she wanted her theory to be right or not.

"I remember."

"I've thought...a lot about that day. H-heh, this is really stupid...I mean, it's ridiculous t-to even...I think I, you know..." The drum solo became a percussion symphony. Eiko's face was getting redder by the word, but this time, there was no desire to prolong her suffering.

"Eiko, do you...like me?"

There was so much weight in that tiny question, all of it centered around the black hole of a word that was "like". Light and sound and common sense, it all bended around it, was sucked into it, and the room fell dark and silent. But after a short eternity, there came a relieved sigh that restored order to their small universe. It was so much easier when you just had to answer a question.

"More than I should."

"Huh."

"Yeah. And...how do you feel about me?"

Squid Girl thought about it. She thought about sharing just how much Eiko had changed her view of humans, or how much fun they'd had together, but none of that felt fitting nor simple enough. And she still wasn't sure enough to give a definite answer. So in the end, the reply became the least overwhelming thing that the girl could think of. However, her body language and tone of voice made it clear that there was much more behind the simple sentence.

"I'm kinda glad you like my ink~g-geso."

-Later that night-

Awkward. Awkward, awkward, awkward. Shortly after the taste test, their lunch break had been over and a substantial amount of customers had dropped by, and the two weren't forced to explore this new, strange bond between them. The rest of the day went by painlessly, considering that the two girls hardly spoke at all. This wasn't that rare, as much as they fought, but this silence didn't come from pride or anger. Eiko wasn't sure where to go from where they were, her insecurity in turn affecting Squid Girl.

Still, silence had worked. At Lemon, around running children and needy tourists, they had other things to concentrate on. At home, at dinner, Chizuru and Takeru filled out the dead air nicely. There was no need to talk, or even to look at each other. However, the problem came at bedtime. They slept in the same room, and even if this didn't make conversation a must, the fact that it was only the two of them left so many things unsaid that the air in their lungs screamed to be used for words instead of plain old breathing. It was the middle of summer, so even with an open window, the room's temperature was above comfortable. Furthermore, the air was tingling with unspoken words, as if charged with static electricity. And sooner or later, there was bound to be a discharge.

Squid Girl didn't have a problem with probably-liking Eiko. She just didn't know all that much about human relationships. Of course, she had watched enough movies to know the gist of it. There were a lot of signs of affection involved, some appealing to the squid, some not. Though she had never seen a movie when two girls fell in love. It was always a boy and a girl, for some reason. Squid Girl figured that it would been more interesting to mix things up, and movie companies were usually so creative. To summarize, her insecurity was mostly due to her lack of experience and Eiko's weird behavior.

Now, Eiko on the other hand had a slightly more complex web of qualms on her mind. These included age (since none of them had any idea how old Squid Girl really was), gender and most importantly, species. In all regards save for cap and tentacles, bioluminescence and ink production, Squid Girl would've passed for a perfectly normal human. Potential stigmata aside, Eiko didn't doubt her feelings in the least. She loved Squid Girl, plain and simple. She had come to this conclusion a few days after the fan incident, her obsession with replaying the moment in her head refusing to subside. After a bit of soul-searching and some vanilla ice cream, the answer was clear and terrifying. There were just so many things to consider, and this indecisiveness probably would've been figuratively fatal, if not for the straightforwardness of the girl lying on the floor beside her bed.

"Are we a couple now?" was asked, and you could see almost the sparks flying.

"What makes you say that?" Eiko was lying on her back, staring into the dark ceiling. She was over the stuttering, now that she knew that her feelings were probably-reciprocated.

"Well, you like me and I...isn't that how it's usually works~geso?" The brunette pictured her friend's blushing face, the mental image sending a tingling down her spine. Why was the inability to put feelings into words so goddamn cute?

"Ideally, I suppose. But you know, there are more things to being a couple." Eiko came to a decision. She couldn't cope with the moral implications right now, and she didn't have the willpower to simply go to sleep.

"Like what?"

"Don't be mean and try to make me say it. You've watched enough TV."

There was a long silence as hours of cinematic footage was played through the squid's head. Most of the things relevant to the situation made Squid Girl want to curl into a tiny, red-glowing ball. But they all had one thing in common, and her heart skipped a few beats as she asked:

"Should we sleep in the same bed~geso?"

Don't panic. Eiko told herself, even if the room had suddenly turned twice as hot. It's a logical step, and just because you share a bed doesn't mean you have to...no, it's fine.

"If you want."

"You know, you were the one who confessed to me first~geso. The least you can do is be a bit more enthusiastic." grumbled Squid Girl, sitting up.

"What kind of enthusiasm are you asking for!'?" Eiko wheezed back, careful not to be too loud. She then smiled at the fact that their speech pattern was finally starting to return to normal. "And you're the one who stuck your fingers in my mouth."

"Because you doubted my squiddly qualities~geso! You're the one who poured soda over me."

"I just returned the favor. It was you who broke the fan."

"I didn't break the squidding thing, it just stopped." Squid Girl was standing up now, two of her tentacles crossed instead of her arms. Eiko giggled, and scooted over to one side of the bed. Maybe this could work without all the awkwardness, as long as they acted like they usually did?

But isn't that kinda avoiding the issue?

"If you don't mind it being too hot, hop in. Though, not with that dress of yours. I can't believe you sleep in that thing." After a moment of silence, the messenger from the sea pointed at herself, blinking sheepishly.

"You want me to take off my clothes~geso?"

"Stop making everything sound worse than it is! Why don't you just sleep in that swimsuit you always wear?"

"I'm not hot." The blue-tentacled girl mumbled, and Eiko actually enjoyed being the less embarrassed person for once.

"Maybe not now, but two people generate a lot of body heat. If you sleep here in that, you'll be cooked. Whatever, I'm tired. You're the one who asked, so don't make such a fuss about it. Just go to sleep." With that closing statement, Eiko nuzzled into her pillow and closed her eyes. She didn't know how in the world Squid Girl and everyone else in the building failed to hear her deafening heartbeats.

A minute passed. Two minutes. Eiko calmed down, not sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. She settled for a bit of both. Then, a slight rustling could be heard. The brunette's body became as stiff as a plank, and her ears listened attentively for the sound that came next: The low thud as a piece of clothing was thrown to the floor. There was a slight creaking as Squid Girl got into the bed. Eiko cracked one eye open, and suddenly felt terrible for manipulating her friend. The mighty conqueress from the sea lay curled up at the absolute edge of the bed, uncomfortable and reserved.

"You're not gonna be able to sleep like that." the brunette said, and wanting to make up for her behavior, she reached across the oceans between them and ran her hand through Squid Girl's blue bangs, letting it rest on her forehead. It was almost like a pat, and the big-eyed look she received would've fit nicely on any decent puppy. "Just relax."

While the action at first only made Squid Girl look even more pained, she eventually closed her eyes. Her breathing became slower, and her body relaxed. The ten tentacles fanned out just a little with each breath, and the squid's expression settled into a peaceful slumber. More minutes passed, and moon moved across the sky outside. Eiko just lied still, admiring the adorable view. She had to ask.

"Squid Girl?"

"Mm?" came the answer, even if it sounded like the girl was at least three quarters asleep.

"Do you love me?"

Without hesitation, Squid Girl scooted closer to Eiko. While there earlier had been a tense atmosphere between them, a mellow feeling was now all that remained. She ended up almost tucked in between Eiko's arms, the puffs of air she exhaled tickling Eiko's collarbones, electrifying her spine in a most bothersome manner.

"You're a bossy, sadistic and spiteful human who makes me slave in a restaurant all day. But...yeah, I do."

Cozy contentment filled Eiko until her body trembled in a long, drawn-out yawn. So much had happened in this one day, and she didn't have the strength to deal with it all. It would have to wait until morning.

"You're a rude, shameless and childish squid who thinks she can conquer humankind by sitting around playing video games and eating shrimp. And I love you too."

Somehow, when on the verge of sleep, the word "love" wasn't nearly as heavy as the word "like". Or maybe it was, just in a different way. While "like" had been this cumbersome and unwieldy object, "love" was an anchor, helpful and stable.

"Eiko?"

"Yeah?"

"You said that there is more to being a couple than just liking one another~geso. What comes after sharing a bed?"

"Um...I think it's best if we take this one step at a time. Okay?"

"...okay."

-I-

And so we did. I woke up the next morning to the loud complaints of Eiko, as I had accidentally caught her with my tentacles in my sleep...again. She yelled at me for a while, I yelled back a little, and everything was as it had always been~geso. Only with the added bonus that when we were done fighting, Eiko gave me a light kiss on the cheek before tiredly trudging down to make breakfast. I loved it. Even if I didn't quite know why, I loved those tiny signs of affection~geso. And I was glad Eiko was the one giving them, since I was kinda new to the whole ordeal.

We were a real couple after that, I guess. According to our silent agreement, we treated each other like usual, with a few exceptions~geso. What was supposed to come next was still a mystery to me, and Eiko explained that if we were going to be serious about our relationship, we would have to tell the others. I didn't quite understand why this seemed so frightening to her, and Eiko explained that two girls being in love is a tad unusual. I can imagine that when one of said girls isn't human, it's a level above unusual~geso.

Luckily, I've ended up in a group of very decent humans, and the revelation was well received by every single one of you, along with some valid skepticism. Um...almost everyone~geso. When we told Sanae, she quietly asked us to leave her alone. Eiko told me that it was hard for her, because while she wanted to be happy for her friends, she is also very emotionally attached to me. While that attachment is completely one-sided, I still sympathize with her. Thankfully, Sanae deemed her friendship more important, and came by a few days later to properly congratulate us~geso. She also apologized to me for all the trouble she had caused, and I, being the gracious and squidevolent person I am, forgave her. If it means anything, I think it was a very admirable thing she did.

As I'm sure you all know, today is a very special occasion for more than one reason~geso. Today is also Eiko's birthday, and when this was brought up a week earlier, Chizuru suggested a themed party. When asked what she had in mind, the she gave us a very unexpected answer.

She suggested a wedding theme.

-I-

"This makes me look stupid~geso." Squid Girl muttered, squirming in front of the mirror. She and her outfit weren't exactly getting along, as evidenced by the aforementioned squirming, and the outfit's attempts to suffocate her in return.

"I think you look really cool!"

"Thank you, Takeru." Squid Girl's most hated part of the get-up was by far the strangling device that the humans insisted on calling bow tie. It had taken a fair amount of time to even convince her that it was a perfectly normal item, and that people wore it all the time. Paranoia had never been so justified. She had also shortened her tentacles a bit and tied them together in a thick braid. Together with what she was currently wearing, it made her look a bit older than she usually did, and the conqueress approved this temporary look.

"I agree with Takeru." Kiyomi said, and Squid Girl was afraid she was going to start crying again. Her friend was very emotional when it came to love-related things, and had more or less started bawling when she had heard the good news. There had also been a lot of hugs involved. Another river of tears had been unleashed when the "wedding" was announced, and even more hugs had been traded. It brought a tear to Squid Girl's eye as well, just seeing how much Kiyomi cared about her. Another example of a decent human. "You look great."

The squid thought she looked a little like Sanae had when the obsessive girl had become her self-proclaimed bodyguard, except that she wore a bow tie instead of a necktie, didn't have a pair of ugly sunglasses on, and looked overall more appealing.

Butterflies were enjoying themselves with a nuclear war in Squid Girl's stomach as Takeru and Kiyomi followed her outside. She wasn't sure where the nervousness came from. After all, they had said again and again that this whole occasion was just a fun thing. Nothing serious, but a way to make sure that everyone was okay with Eiko and Squid Girl being happy together. She was wearing a tuxedo, for crying out loud. The "wedding" would simply be held on the beach outside of Lemon, where they had dragged out a few chairs. There would be no fake altar, no fake rings, just a bride and a groom, friends and family, and an uncertified minister. And it was only the bride and the groom who got to wear the appropriate, and expensive, clothes. It was just a silly birthday theme. So why the butterflies?

Well, it might've had something to do with the "friends and family" part. Squid Girl was used to attracting the attention of humans; it was only natural that they would be curiously drawn to the fearsome and powerful creature she was. But to instead have Kiyomi and Nagisa, Gorou and Tatsuo (the latter not invited), Cindy and the three stooges (not invited), Ayumi and her father, along with a good ten elementary school children look at her with mixes of happiness and worry...it made her want to just disappear.

"Come on, come on, she'll be here any minute." Takeru dragged Squid Girl along the improvised aisle while flashing the victory sign to his friends. Everyone was eerily silent in the squid's opinion, and it was only Takeru's presence that kept her from leaping out into the ocean, tuxedo and all.

"Oh, sis also told me that you are supposed to hold a little speech." The boy whispered to her when they stood at the edge of the water. The waves rolled in over their bare ankles, and Squid Girl wondered what she had done to deserve to wear black, full-body clothing on a beach in the middle of summer. At least it was evening, but still.

"What? I don't have a speech~geso."

"You'll think of something." Takeru said unhelpfully before running back to his seat, and her protests were cut short by the arrival of the "bride".

The dress and veil both matched the sand in color, the flowing fabric whirling around Eiko like a sandstorm. It was a short piece of clothing, so that it could go unharmed by sand and sea. The sunset sent slanted rays across the beach, shading her a smoldering orange. A blue flower was tucked behind her ear, and an azure necklace gave a nice contrast to her skin and the shoulderless dress. Squid Girl liked to think that these things were blue for a reason.

Sanae walked behind Eiko, displaying a sort of melancholy that made her smile look almost transparent. One could wonder just how seriously she took the ceremony. But a smile was a smile, and Squid Girl gave her one of her own as thanks. While the torn girl took her seat, Eiko came up to her, a modest smirk on her lips. She looked just like the human brides Squid Girl had seen in movies, the biggest difference being that she had never wanted to kiss a movie actress.

"You look...interesting." The brunette giggled, earning a sour look from the squid.

"Gee, thanks. Do you have any idea how hot it is in this thing?"

"You think you have it bad? Even if doesn't look like it, this dress has like four layers. If not for the sea breeze, I would've been dead by now."

"We should get back at Chizuru after this." The squid said, the words whispered so quietly that Eiko was unsure if she had heard them correctly.

"Yeah, we should. Though that's never-"

"-going to happen, I know~geso."

The older sister cleared her throat, assuming the post of the minister. Of course, she had a far more important role: Explaining the reasoning behind this crazy event.

"We've gathered here today to celebrate the birthday of Eiko Aizawa, my beloved sister. But in doing so, we have also come to congratulate her in another regard. You all know Squid Girl, and I'm sure she means a lot to all of you. To some, she might be a close friend, to others a role model and to a few...an alien. But to Eiko, she has become something much more." Chizuru spoke in a authoritative voice, choosing her words with the greatest of care. Even with her sage-like expression, Squid Girl could've sworn she saw the hint of a smirk fly by. She was enjoying this in more ways than one, the squid thought.

"This is not only a birthday party. This is definitely not a wedding. It is simply two people expressing their love for each other, and choosing to share it with everyone else. For that, we should be grateful." A round of applause followed, and Eiko could see Ayumi's father enthusiastically whisper something in his daughter's ear, whereupon she lit up like a Christmas tree. Squid Girl was surprised at how Chizuru made it sound like the wedding theme had been their idea, not her own. Maybe it sounded better that way.

"Certain love transcends age and gender, yet never have I heard of the kind that outmatches even species. I don't question it, because that kind of affection must be unbelievably strong. That is why I am here today, and it's hopefully why all of you are too." Eiko took Squid Girl's hands, the girl still really uncomfortable with the situation. Eiko actually seemed to be doing fine, and didn't look nervous in the slightest. Of course she would be fine. She was a human, and used to these weird things. But her calm flowed through their connected hands, and as long as Squid Girl focused on the person in front of her and shut out most everything else, she too could act relaxed. So when Chizuru asked her a question, the question, she replied without thinking, knowing what the answer was without even hearing the question.

"Do you, Squid Girl, take Eiko Aizawa to be your girlfriend? Will you love her, comfort, honor and keep her, in sickness and health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall be together?"

"I do." came the answer, eagerly and without hesitation. Chizuru repeated the question to Eiko, swapping out the relevant parts. Eiko looked at her tuxedo-clad squid, and the whole silly ceremony suddenly seemed very serious.

"I do." Eiko echoed, and a wave rolled in with a rumbling at that exact moment. The sunset lit the sky and ocean on fire, creating amber sparkles and pink clouds. Squid Girl could feel tears sting in the corner of her eyes. Everything around her was so beautiful.

"I hereby pronounce you girlfriend and girlfriend. You may now kiss the bride."

Involuntarily, Squid Girl's eyes darted to the side and just caught Sanae throwing her camera to the ground and Ayumi wiping a tear from her eye, before Eiko gently put a hand on her cheek to gain back her attention.

"Don't tell me the all-powerful conquerer from the sea can't stand a little attention." she teased, but her eyes and voice were kind. Before any protests or retorts could come, she whispered a few choice words in her beloved's ear. Squid Girl smiled wider than she thought was physically healthy and took a step forward. Her tentacles suddenly broke out of the braid and extended, going lap after lap around the couple to eventually create a protective barrier around them, a sort of decency-preserving sphere.

If the others are making you nervous, then why are you letting them look?

Eiko had kneeled down a bit for them to become the same height, and her arms were tightly locked around the other girl's neck. The lack of light wasn't a problem, thanks to the soft glow emanating from the squid's body. In the small space filled with light, there were only them. Eiko didn't think of her future or her friends as she let her lips meet Squid Girl's. The glowing girl's mind was thoroughly wiped of all irrelevant thoughts at this action, and she simply closed her eyes and let the human, who was surely more experienced with these things, do as she pleased. However, on a whim, she let a familiar liquid seep past her lips.

Eiko didn't get much time to be surprised. The salty ink made her head spin, and suddenly it was Squid Girl who was holding up their fragile connection. All the brunette could do was drink, unless she wanted to choke. In a dark corner of her mind, she realized that she liked her partner like this, confident and in control. It did something for her. In the bioluminescent glow, they broke away from each other. Not your conventional marriage-sealing kiss, the two gasped for air. A few drops of ink hit the sand below them, turning the grains brown.

"So...do you still think I'm turning bad?" The squid asked, her mischievous smile glowing brighter than the rest of her.

"I do now. And that's not saying anything about your ink."

The sphere of tentacles opened up like a blooming flower, accompanied by modest applause and more tears than Squid Girl could count. Takeru and Kiyomi fired off those cone-shaped confetti shooters over their heads, lightening up way the too serious mood. Chizuru came up and gave her sister a hug, along with a few words.

"Take good care of her."

"I will, sis. Don't worry."

"I'm not. Oh, you have a little something..." Chizuru whispered before reaching out to wipe away a stray drop of black-blue liquid on Eiko's chin. "Why would I be worried?"

Squid Girl's hands suddenly flew up to her mouth, searching for similar evidence. It was the most adorable reaction, and the brunette didn't know whether to laugh or continue to blush fiercely. Chizuru licked the ink off her fingers before turning to the others.

"Now, cake and other assorted foods will be served at Lemon, so please bring your chairs back with you. But before that..."

Squid Girl looked out across the ocean, the place that had served as her home for the longest time. She still couldn't go back, not until she had fulfilled her mission. The girl loosened her tie a bit before turning towards the crowd. There was one more person among her friends now, she noticed. That strange girl with the even stranger hat, the one who seemed to know everything about her. Always with that mellow, knowing smile.

Well...I don't see any reason why she shouldn't be here.

The squid who had come to invade humanity took a deep breath before speaking. She didn't feel nervous anymore. It all seemed pretty ordinary now, as if things were supposed to be this way.

"Eiko Aizawa. I guess you'd could say she takes care of me..."

-I-

That's about all I had to say~geso. I can't be sure of the direction my and Eiko's relationship will take, but I'm sure that I will want to stick around to find out. And that's why I'm here today~geso. Even if this is just a quirky version of a birthday party, it holds a deeper meaning for me. This the first time I've truly felt like a part of the Aizawa family, and even if I can be a pretty stupid squid sometimes, I'll make sure that Eiko doesn't regret including me~geso. Finally, I want to thank you all for coming, and of course for showing your squidtastic support. Have a great evening~geso!